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A couple of other points about stainless: Generally more than 12% Cr is needed for the material to be considered truly stainless. Also the passive film requires oxygen to self-repair, so stainless steels have poor corrosion resistance in low-oxygen and poor circulation environments. In seawater, chlorides from the salt will attack and destroy the passive film more quickly than it can be repaired in a low oxygen environment. Seems that the environment around the seal with sweat working its way in to the seal face through capillary action would be ideal for rust to start if the chrome oxide layer is damaged. But that layer is pretty darn hard!
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